2006 civic; MPG seeing and amount paid.

All ac's went down the tube in smaller cars when they dumped freon. Things
are just getting better now. Unfortunately the new refirgerant is very
corrosive and eats up evaporators.

 

You are a candidate for a hybrid.

 

An acquaintance of mine has an '82 Honda Civic FE with 324K+ (that's
when the odometer broke) and he figures that it costs him an average of
$50 per month for maintenance/repair. That car runs sweet and is
absolutely dependable. But he does need to torque bushings to take the
slop out of shifting.

In my life, I have only bought one new car, a 1961 VW beetle. Never
again did I get into the payment trap...

JT

 

With that much driving, it will probably be a lot of highway. An standard
engined vehicle would get just as good mileage without the extra cost or
complexity of a Hybrid. I looked into it for my commute (160 round trip)
and it just didn't add up.

 

A co-worker purchased a Prius not long ago and has been playing with
speed vs. fuel economy. At 70-75 mph the Prius doesn't make sense as it
delivers only about 42-43 mpg. However, at 60-65 mph my co-worker
reports 56 to 58 mpg (consistent with my cousin who reports even better
mpg (over 60 mpg) at 55-60 mph). Both reports of great mpg were
obtained on pretty flat ground with just the driver aboard.

How fast do you want to drive?

 

I set the cruise at 71 in a 65. The mileage you report above doesn't seem
consistent with all the other owners reporting their mileage in this very
forum.

Me, I'm not buying anything till my current car dies. I have an '01 V6
Accord and I'm currently getting 28mpg. When it dies I'm gonna look into a
Civic or equivalent car. Based on my commute being all highway and what
people have posted as their mileage (as opposed to someone else's mileage)
vs. what the non-Hybrid civics and such are getting, for an all highway
commute it doesn't seem to justify the extra expense and complexity.

Now if I had a mixed driving commute or all town/city driving I'd be singing
a different tune.

 

Only if he's doing all 240 miles/day in moderate stop-and-go traffic.

Otherwise, a hybrid is just throwing *more* money down the drain.

If he must have new, a diesel...

 

yeah. No surprise there. I'm sure it was *cooler* air, but certainly
not *cool* air.

 

Hey, I only know 2 Prius (not Civic hybrid assist) owners and both
report similar mpg at slow speeds on the highway.
What can I say?

I'm getting 27+ mpg from my 03 Corvette (6 speed) while performing
commuting duty. Can't say I'm surprised that a Prius can get 2X the mpg
of a Corvette (ignoring for the moment my average speed of 70-75 mph vs
60 mph or so for the Prius).

YMMV

 

Thank you, Art, you beat me to the punch. Someone taking commuter miles off
his/her taxes could wind up behind the IRS 8 ball.

If I were Mr. Handley (op), I seriously consider the Honda Fit Sport also.
It has all the safety features of the LX, the essentially the same
transmissions (manual and automatic 5 speeds) and both are Hondas.

I buy new if possible since a) there is a warranty, b) Hondas don't have as
big an off the lot depreciation, and c) I always have that nagging feeling
that the previous owner got rid of the car for some reason.

The above advise is REALLY REALLY bad. Don't do dat.

 

Which way do think those numbers should differ? Up or down?

70mph cruise... that's hard to do. And that's the problem. If I can
cruise at 70, I can get 50mpg, but more often, attempting to cruise at 70
requires a lot of acceleration, and the mileage drops to mid-40's.
If I think I'm crusing at 70, it's more likely that I'm fluctuating between
60-75 with traffic snarls, and driving hard.

My 2003 Civic Hybrid CVT, for a distance of 60 miles or more:
42 MPG at 80MPH, San Jose to Sacramento, I-680/205/5
50 MPG at 70MPH, San Jose to Benicia, I-680
59 MPG at 60MPH, San Jose to Benicia, I-680
65 MPG at 50MPH, Lake County to Napa County, country road.

My neighbor does about 130 miles a day. 90-something Honda Accord,
purchased new, 350k+ miles, no major repairs.

Don't forget comfort. I think you're right that a highway commute reduces
the difference between big and small. It also reduces what I consider the
handling factor, where I prefer a smaller car on winding roads.

A friend was doing a long commute in a Honda Insight, and gave it up. The
ride was too harsh.

Another friend, doing a _long_ commute, bought nothing but used taxis.
He never did any repairs. If something broke, he'd sell/dump it and buy a
new one.

 

Edmunds says $10,500 tradein, $11,800 private party, $12,900 dealer retail.

Note that the person who bought it new and is trading it in to a dealer
loses about $5,500, but the person who buys it as a used car from the
dealer saves only $3,100 versus a new one. Of course, if they met
privately, they could have split the $2,400 spread between the tradein
and retail prices.

Note that the spread between tradein and retail prices is why people
selling recent used cars usually seem to lose a lot of money, but those
buying recent used cars usually don't seem to save very much compared
to buying new.

 

You really do get value out of a used car but here's something else to think
about. I've always bought used, but after a while they do need repairs.
Another question to ask yourself: Are you able to spare the down time in
the shop or do you have a 2nd car when it goes to the shop? Of course, some
used cars will need more repairs than others. New cars will eventually need
maintenance done too. Question is, how frequently and how much? With the
amount of driving you'll be doing it doesn't sound like you would have much
time taking it in for repairs.

-Dave

 

if it were me, I would buy new with the Honda care zero deductible 8
year/120k warranty for about a grand. He may have worries but there won't
be car worries with that for quite a while.

 

Unfortunately, the current Sentra hasn't been as reliable as previous
versions. Not to mention the seats are rock hard.

 

Excellent questions to ask, yes.

I'm fortunate in that I myself have two great source for repair: the
only Honda mechanic I'll let touch my car works evening shift at the
dealership that has service until midnight, and all my non-Honda work
goes to the local service station 2 blocks away. He takes me right in
and gets me right out, no hassles. I'm happy to leave the car on
Saturday while I do something else.

But if you don't have a good support team, take that into account. Also
understand that even a new car can require time in the shop. You *hope*
to minimize or eliminate that by buying a Honda (or Toyota).

In fact, *the* way to absolutely minimize that possibility is to buy a
new, basic, 4 cylinder manual transmission Honda or Toyota--a Civic or a
Corolla, or even a 4 banger Accord. Japanese 4 cylinder/manual trans
drivetrains are jewels to behold, and are utterly bulletproof.

Me, I'd probably go get a Scion xB if I were doing all this and
absolutely had to have new.

 

Service at a dealership open 'till MIDNIGHT??? Never heard that one before.
Used to be a place up the street which stayed open 'till 9pm and even they
cut back. I happened to find a Honda mechanic that does side work in the
evenings and weekends so I can go there.

Good to hear since I now have a manual 4-cylinder '05 Accord.

 

It will be 98% interstate. About an hour and a half one way depending
on the traffic. I thought of a jetta diesel but they aren't too
reliable (from what I've read) and just try and find one now. BTW
Honda is bringing a diesel to the states in the next couple years.
Also the next Hybrids will all be diesel electric hybrids. Way off
base though.
I might as well throw this out there. The other big concern is safety.
Six air bags provides an extra level of protection. Have to think of
the wife and two kids as well. Any opinions on used models offering gas
mileage and extra safety?

So far I'm pointing towards a used car. I already have my eyes out for
one. Right now the dealerships can rot in hell. It's a civic... not a
luxury car. No wonder why so many people around here are driving
Kia's, Suzuki... etc.

Paul

 

Down based on previous reports here of Hybrid mileage.

But what kind of mileage would you get driving the same roads the same way
in a non-Hybrid Civic? That's the major question in determining if it is
worth it or not. They seem very worth the extra expense for city drving.
Not so much on highway driving.

Comfort will vary from person to person. I like a "tight" vehicle, others
prefer cushy.

 

heh. i steered my mom toward an xA in '03. shes over 60. loves the car,
though. shes never owned a car with power windows and locks. come to
think of it, neither have i.

their marketing *is* pretty slick, but theyre just a plain good value.
solid, reliable drivetrain, no timing belt, VVT-i, good mileage, and the
underhood packaging is a work of art.

honda came late to the party with the jazz, and itll still do well, im
sure. but its too close in price to a regular civic, IMO. especially
optioned out halfway decent.